Chapter 1843 - 1688: Escape Game 40
Chapter 1843: Chapter 1688: Escape Game 40
Miao Shuangshuang sighed with some regret and continued, "As a result, she was captured by a demon last night, and this morning, she was already laid to rest. Naturally, the story has no further developments."
"Could the demon that little girl mentioned be the same one Old Jin talked about yesterday, the one that drags people back to its lair at night to eat?" Xiao Zhongjing pondered.
Miao Shuangshuang nodded, "Very likely."
"So, are we heading up the mountain today to explore this sky pit?" He Qianyin looked up at the rather high mountain peak and asked.
The mountain looked tall, and climbing it would surely be a task that required a lot of physical stamina. He Qianyin wasn’t worried about not being able to make the climb herself.
Her body had been enhanced twice by the game. Her combat skills might not be strong, but climbing a mountain was easy for her. However, she was a bit concerned that there might be creatures inside the so-called sky pit that supposedly suppresses demons.
Xiao Zhongjing had no objections and followed Miao Shuangshuang. Seeing this, He Qianyin hesitated, feeling a bit reluctant to follow them.
Miao Shuangshuang glanced back at her and said, "I’ll go with Xiao Zhongjing to explore that sky pit. You stay on this island, gather information, and we can exchange what we’ve found out when we meet tonight."
He Qianyin breathed a sigh of relief. She had clung to Miao Shuangshuang just to survive. Avoiding danger was ideal, so she readily agreed.
Miao Shuangshuang walked towards the mountain with Xiao Zhongjing. He sneered, "Wanting benefits without taking risks, why do you let such a fence-sitter stay with you? She’s just using you as an amulet, without any sincerity."
Miao Shuangshuang laughed, "If she wants to use me as an amulet, it still depends on whether I’m willing. Letting her stay close is better than her continually pestering and causing delays.
She’s clever and values her life. Look, she’s already sensibly stepped away. If we didn’t allow her to follow, she might have sneaked along, which wouldn’t be good."
Although Miao Shuangshuang seemed easygoing, it didn’t mean she was easy to manipulate. Whether she would protect someone in danger was up to her.
Xiao Zhongjing suddenly understood and said, "So you really didn’t want her to follow us."
"She’s too smart, and smart people are often suspicious. They don’t trust others, only themselves.
The more I hide things from her, the more curious she becomes. If I explained upfront, she’d weigh the risks and choose to stay away."
"Is the place we’re going that important, Shuangshuang? Why don’t you want her with us?"
Miao Shuangshuang didn’t notice Xiao Zhongjing suddenly addressed her as Shuangshuang instead of Miss Miao. She simply pointed to the mountain ahead, now close at hand.
"If the mythical demon in this game is the ultimate boss, then where in the game is likely to have weapons to fight it?"
A realization struck Xiao Zhongjing, "It’s the sky pit that once imprisoned a demon. If the pit could trap a demon, it must have a suppressing artifact.
Although the demon has escaped now, the suppressing artifact might still exist, or the game might provide weapons for players to combat the demon. The game won’t leave players without any way to progress."
Miao Shuangshuang nodded, "Exactly, so we need to hurry and reach the sky pit to get ahead."
"Got it." Xiao Zhongjing’s spirits lifted, and he quickened his pace.
Having strengthened his physical condition once, although still tiring, he at least no longer needed Miao Shuangshuang to drag him up the hill, unlike his time in Lao Mountain Village.
This mountain had a flat top plateau where the fabled sky pit lay. It wasn’t truly a sky pit but a sky pit.
The pit wasn’t large in diameter, yet it was profoundly deep, with nothing but darkness below and the sound of trickling water. It appeared like a well, prompting people on Shadow Island to call it the sky pit.
Miao Shuangshuang took out a Guardian Talisman, placed it between her fingers, and with a wave of her hand, the talisman paper ignited without wind. A large yellow defensive shield, like a bell, enveloped Miao Shuangshuang and Xiao Zhongjing.
Miao Shuangshuang led Xiao Zhongjing to the edge of the sky pit and said to him, "Relax, don’t be anxious. I’ll take you down. With the Guardian Talisman, we won’t be harmed by any toxic gas or creatures below."
Xiao Zhongjing took a deep breath and nodded, "I’m not afraid. Let’s go down."
Miao Shuangshuang wrapped an arm around Xiao Zhongjing’s waist, used her Inner Strength, and jumped down. With the protective shield of the Guardian Talisman, Miao Shuangshuang wasn’t worried about being harmed or encountering danger.
She only needed to ensure their descent wasn’t too fast. Before long, they reached the bottom of the sky pit, standing atop the dark water under the shield’s protection.
The depth of the water at the bottom of the sky pit was unknown. Miao Shuangshuang threw down a rock and found it surprisingly deep. Fortunately, there was a shore to stand on, avoiding the need to float indefinitely.
Thanks to the shield, they walked on water to the shore, pulled out a phone, switched on the flashlight, and circled the small sky pit.
Surrounding the sky pit were solid rock walls with deep grooves, as if some massive creature had clawed at them.
The sheer size of the claw marks suggested whatever made them was colossal. Xiao Zhongjing marveled, "There really are monsters here. These claw marks, they’re huge. How big must the creature be?"
He bent down to shine his phone onto the dark water, amazed, "If the creature is truly sealed down there, based on the size of those prints against the water’s width, it could only raise a claw at most."
Miao Shuangshuang felt around the rock wall, searching for a kind of Array, though she lacked Spiritual Energy now.
Despite her search, she found no trace of any Array. Miao Shuangshuang was puzzled, questioning how a demon was suppressed without an Array. Without an Array, it couldn’t be suppression.
Moreover, she sensed no demonic aura typical of such creatures. Instead, the atmosphere was peaceful, not like facing a creature but a Holy Beast!
"Shuangshuang, did you find the suppressing artifact?" Xiao Zhongjing turned from examining the rock traces and asked Miao Shuangshuang.
"I believe we’ve been misled."
"Huh?" Xiao Zhongjing turned back to the water’s edge, watching the pensive Miao Shuangshuang, puzzled, "What have we been misled about?"
"We’ve known Old Jin as an unreliable NPC. The girl laid to rest was also an NPC, hence equally unreliable."